Method and system for dynamically calculating reimbursement for vehicle usage

Abstract

A method for dynamically calculating a reimbursement rate for vehicle usage including accessing expected cost factors that include a plurality of specific expected costs, deriving a geographically specific regional baseline CPM reimbursement rate that includes the expected cost factors; accessing a geopoint trip record comprised of a sequence of geopoints that include generated cost factors including a plurality of specific generated costs for the driven vehicle, individually comparing generated cost factors with associated expected cost factors to determine if the generated cost factors are greater than, less than, or equal to the expected cost factors, generating a positive cost allotment for each generated cost factor that is greater than the associated expected cost factor, generating a negative cost allotment for each generated cost factor that is less than the associated expected cost factor, and deriving a dynamic CPM reimbursement rate by adjusting the geographically specific regional baseline CPM reimbursement rate.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for dynamically calculating reimbursement for vehicle usage comprising:
 deriving expected cost factors related to operation of a sample vehicle;   deriving a geographically specific regional baseline cents-per-mile reimbursement rate based on the expected cost factors;   forming a geopoint trip record using vehicle input data received from a driven vehicle and a sequence of geopoints obtained from at least one of a plurality of sensory input devices, wherein the plurality of sensory input devices are associated and in communication with the driven vehicle, and the geopoints include generated cost factors associated with the driven vehicle;   comparing the generated cost factors with expected cost factors to determine if the generated cost factors are greater than, less than, or equal to the expected cost factors;   generating positive cost allotments for the generated cost factors that are greater than the expected cost factors;   generating negative cost allotments for the generated cost factors that are less than the expected cost factors; and   deriving a dynamic cents-per-mile reimbursement rate by adjusting the geographically specific regional baseline cents-per-mile reimbursement rate; wherein the adjusting includes adding the positive cost allotments to the geographically specific regional baseline cents-per-mile reimbursement rate and subtracting the negative cost allotments.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising calculating a trip disbursement amount that includes the dynamic cents-per-mile reimbursement rate multiplied by miles accrued on the driven vehicle during a trip. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising generating a reimbursement report that includes at least one of the trip disbursement amount, the dynamic cents-per-mile reimbursement rate, the geopoint trip record, and the miles accrued. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising communicating the reimbursement report to at least one of an owner and an operator of the driven vehicle. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising submitting via at least one of the owner and the operator of the driven vehicle, the reimbursement report for disbursement processing. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein disbursement processing includes providing the trip disbursement amount to at least one of the owner and the operator of the driven vehicle. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the trip disbursement amount is provided via electronic transfer. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein disbursement processing includes requesting approval from an approving entity. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein upon receiving approval the trip disbursement amount, the trip disbursement amount is provided via electronic transfer to at least one of the owner and the operator of the driven vehicle. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein a denial of approval is communicated to the operator and the operator modifies the reimbursement report and resubmits for disbursement processing, and subsequently, wherein upon receiving approval, the trip disbursement amount is provided via electronic transfer to at least one of the owner and the operator of the driven vehicle. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein deriving the geographically specific regional baseline cents-per-mile reimbursement rate based on the expected cost factors includes utilizing data that includes one or more of: vehicle registration data, vehicle ownership pattern data, vehicle ownership cost data, fuel mileage and cost data, or electric mileage and cost data, and driving costs. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the expected cost factors include two or more of fuel cost, maintenance cost, depreciation cost, and tire cost. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein deriving the expected cost factors related to the operation of the sample vehicle includes calculating the expected cost factors using retrieved data obtained from sources external to the vehicle. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the retrieved data includes at least one of vehicle registration data, vehicle ownership pattern data, and vehicle ownership cost data for a geographically specific region. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the plurality of sensory input devices include at least one of a mobile device, a GPS device, a vehicle sensor, a vehicle onboard computer, and an OBD II module. 
     
     
         16 . A method of dynamically calculating a reimbursement rate for vehicle usage comprising:
 accessing from a data store, expected cost factors that include a plurality of specific expected costs for a sample vehicle;   deriving a geographically specific regional baseline cents-per-mile reimbursement rate that includes the expected cost factors;   accessing a geopoint trip record comprised of vehicle input data received from a driven vehicle and a sequence of geopoints obtained from at least one of a plurality of sensory input devices, wherein the sensory input devices are associated with the operation of the driven vehicle, and the geopoints include generated cost factors that include a plurality of specific generated costs for the driven vehicle,   individually comparing generated cost factors with associated expected cost factors to determine if the generated cost factors are greater than, less than, or equal to the expected cost factors;   generating a positive cost allotment for each generated cost factor that is greater than the associated expected cost factor;   generating a negative cost allotment for each generated cost factor that is less than the associated expected cost factor; and   deriving a dynamic cents-per-mile reimbursement rate by adjusting the geographically specific regional baseline cents-per-mile reimbursement rate; wherein the adjusting includes adding the positive cost allotments to the geographically specific regional baseline cents-per-mile reimbursement rate and subtracting the negative cost allotments.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising calculating a trip disbursement amount that includes the dynamic cents-per-mile reimbursement rate multiplied by miles accrued on the driven vehicle during a trip and generating a reimbursement report that includes the trip disbursement amount. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising electronically communicating the reimbursement report to at least one of an owner and an operator of the driven vehicle and submitting electronically via at least one of the owner and the operator of the driven vehicle, the reimbursement report for disbursement processing. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the sensory input devices include one or more of a mobile device, a GPS device, a vehicle sensor, vehicle onboard computer, and an OBD II module. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the expected cost factors and generated cost factors include driver behavior data.